Networked computer systems including computers executing desktop sharing applications to permit the computers to share displayed information are widely known and used. In these computer systems, one computer (the host computer) transmits images of its desktop to a plurality of remote computers using such a desktop sharing application. The remote computers may use a variety of strategies to display the host computer desktop images depending on the operating environments of the remote computers.
Windows is a well-known operating environment for computers. In this operating environment, information to be presented to a user is displayed by a desktop graphical user interface in one or more windows. In computer systems that share displayed information and operate in the Windows environment, when images of the host computer desktop are transmitted to the remote computers via a conferencing server, each remote computer displays the host computer desktop image within a window. Such desktop sharing requires a large, stable network connection between each of the personal computers and the conferencing server, especially where other applications, such as video conferencing, are run at the same time.
In some instances, it is desirable to permit remote control by a remote computer of a particular host computer having a shared display region. Web conferencing software such as Bridgit™ provided by SMART Technologies ULC of Calgary, Alberta, Canada enable a user during a conference to, while sharing a desktop, permit contributions via remote control to the desktop via other client computers during the conference. Typically this is done by a remote user manually requesting remote control of the shared desktop via menu selection. In response, the user of the host computer receives a pop-up or other notification, and the user of the host computer then chooses whether to grant or deny the request for remote control of the desktop. Upon grant of remote control, keyboard and mouse commands are routed from the remote controller computer via the computer network to the host computer.
It has been found that the manual request and explicit grant/deny process is cumbersome for users, as it can interrupt and thereby frustrate the collaborative process supported by the computer network. This disadvantage is encountered in other systems such as those provided by Microsoft, WebEx, Adobe and VNC, to name a few.
As will be appreciated, improvements in graphical user interfaces in environments where computers share displayed information are desired. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system for enabling remote control of a first computer having a display region that is to be shared with at least one other computer.